I know some of you, myself included, feel that lessons must be painful to be appreciated or remembered. Contrary to popular belief, not all lessons have to be painful. Some can even be fun. It's all in the 'moral to the story'. Life gives us wonderful examples to follow ... allow me to illustrate.

Food critic William Sitwell has resigned as editor of Waitrose’s in-house magazine following a row over his astonishingly hostile response to a freelance journalist who proposed a series of articles on veganism.

In the world that we live in now, with ecological destruction for the sake of material possessions and with the divisions among humanity, a return to our wu-wei nature is imperative, or we will face the dire consequences of our ignorant actions.

“For the first time media is the least trusted institution globally,” Edelman, the global PR and marketing firm concluded in its annual worldwide study on trust in institutions like the media, business and government.

‘Tis the season when the conversation shifts to what you’re thankful for. Gathered with family and friends around a holiday feast, for instance, people may recount some of the biggies – like their health or their children – or smaller things that enhance everyday life – like happening upon a great movie while channel-surfing or enjoying a favorite seasonal food.

In the wake of controversial and widely publicized incidents involving the use of deadly force by the police against racial and ethnic minorities, President Obama appointed the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing in 2015 to propose ways to improve policing in the U.S.

Parents are being warned there could be a big rise in head lice outbreaks in schools this winter. The health charity Community Hygiene Concern has predicted that low-income families will be hit hardest after a change in NHS England guidance, means GPs are now routinely prevented from prescribing any treatment for the parasites.

]]>bobby@innerselfadmin.com (Alejandra Perotti)FeaturedHealth & WellnessLiving in HarmonyMon, 26 Nov 2018 03:32:02 -0500Why The History Of Messianic Judaism Is So Fraught And Complicatedhttps://innerself.com/content/personal/spirituality-mindfulness/religions-a-beliefs/18384-why-the-history-of-messianic-judaism-is-so-fraught-and-complicated.html
https://innerself.com/content/personal/spirituality-mindfulness/religions-a-beliefs/18384-why-the-history-of-messianic-judaism-is-so-fraught-and-complicated.html

When Loren Jacobs, member of the Shma Yisrael Congregation, offered a prayer for the victims of the Tree of Life congregation at a campaign rally attended by Mike Pence, it left many Jews feeling very upset. The vice president’s office later denied inviting Jacobs to the event.

I have spent nearly twenty-five years of my adult life searching through the spiritual culture -- during which time I have worked as a body-mind-spirit publisher, a historian of alternative spirituality, and an individual seeker, sampling and struggling with many of the ideas of self liberation and self-development on the current spiritual scene (and working with the originators of some of these ideas).

This advice is for you if you resonate with one of the following sayings and want a different perspective on a problem you’re facing NOW. I obtained the advice by imagining myself in the future when I was no longer setback in the way described by each of the sayings. I then asked myself what advice I would give that younger and stuck me.

]]>admin@innerself.ca (Alison Smith)FeaturedSelf-HelpHappiness & SuccessPersonal DevelopmentSun, 25 Nov 2018 12:03:53 -0500Focusing on the Good in People: The Power of Praise and Blessinghttps://innerself.com/content/personal/happiness-and-self-help/creating-realities/18378-the-power-of-praise-and-blessing.html
https://innerself.com/content/personal/happiness-and-self-help/creating-realities/18378-the-power-of-praise-and-blessing.html

In every interaction with other people, we are always making choices consciously or unconsciously as to what we dwell upon. We can make a conscious choice to focus on the positive in people or situations, no matter what. In other words, we can choose to concentrate on the exciting potential of the moment and of the people involved.

I would like to put forward an argument that at the moment a cultural shift is occurring, and the metaphysical paradigm of materialism is fading away. I also want to emphasise how important it is - for the future of our own species and for our planet as a whole - that this shift comes to full fruition, and that the materialist paradigm is transcended by a spiritual worldview.

As I’ve grown older, my definition of wealth has evolved. Freedom is still of very high importance to me, and when I know I can give myself and my family the kinds of experiences I desire, I feel wealthy. I also have a beautiful home, and the resources to contribute to my children’s lives in any way I choose. Most of all, I feel wealthy when I can use my abundance to contribute to my purpose and mission in the world...

Every day, people try to make sense of challenges in their lives, but sometimes their explanations get in the way of solving them, psychologist Gregory Walton says in a new paper.

]]>bobby@innerselfadmin.com (Melissa De Witte)FeaturedAttitude AdjustmentsPersonal DevelopmentSat, 24 Nov 2018 10:00:39 -0500Biology Is Only Partly To Blame For High Rates Of Mental Illness In Womenhttps://innerself.com/content/living/health/18366-biology-is-only-partly-to-blame-for-high-rates-of-mental-illness-in-women.html
https://innerself.com/content/living/health/18366-biology-is-only-partly-to-blame-for-high-rates-of-mental-illness-in-women.html

Depression and anxiety are known to affect around one in five people, but depression occurs twice as often in women as in men.

This weekly astrological journal is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Perhaps the topic of this week's newsletter is best seen in the above graphic "Live Your Dream" and resumed in the title of Mitch Horowitz's article: "How to Make a Miracle"... We are reminded that we are the creators of our own daily miracles with the support and participation of the life force (aka God, Goddess, The Force, Universe, etc. etc.)

On 27 February 1907, at Berggasse 19 in Vienna, Sigmund Freud fell in love. The object of his affection was Carl Gustav Jung: 19 years younger than Freud, the young psychiatrist was already the clinical director of the prestigious Burghölzli Hospital and a professor at the University of Zurich.

A major dust storm swept through Sydney and regional New South Wales this week. Red skies over Broken Hill on Wednesday night and Sydney on Thursday resembled those seen during intense bushfire activity and the massive 2009 dust storm.

]]>bobby@innerselfadmin.com (Mark Patrick Taylor and Cynthia Isley)FeaturedEnvironmental HealthHealth & WellnessLiving in HarmonyFri, 23 Nov 2018 16:07:27 -0500Why The Enlightenment Was Not The Age Of Reasonhttps://innerself.com/content/social/culture-wars/18358-why-the-enlightenment-was-not-the-age-of-reason.html
https://innerself.com/content/social/culture-wars/18358-why-the-enlightenment-was-not-the-age-of-reason.html

On either side of the Atlantic, groups of public intellectuals have issued a call to arms. The besieged citadel in need of defending, they say, is the one that safeguards science, facts and evidence-based policy.

The process of shedding the uterine lining with vaginal bleeding every month has an obvious reproductive focus, but it has also long been linked with changes to mood and behaviour. Unfortunately, this has often been an attempt to consign women to a “biologically” determined place of inferior mental functioning.

A Gemini Moon is rarely predictable. Interested in this and then that, it casts aside one thing in favour of the next, then the next. It’s great at talking about plans, less so at implementing them. It will express feelings but fail to process them, creating knee-jerk reactivity to life rarely explored deeply enough to change.

Recent headlines claim that a glass of wine or a pint of beer a day shortens your life. It’s enough to dampen any thoughts of a celebratory drink or two at Christmas. But those conclusions are based on a partial view of the alcohol debate.

You have probably never heard of William Kingdon Clifford. He is not in the pantheon of great philosophers – perhaps because his life was cut short at the age of 33 – but I cannot think of anyone whose ideas are more relevant for our interconnected, AI-driven, digital age.

Though most college students typically don’t intend to drink alcohol to the point that they “black out,” many don’t fully grasp what specific drinking behaviors present the greatest risk, a new series of studies finds.

Social allergies are a lot like seasonal allergies. They’re annoying, exhausting and hard to avoid. They’re also especially common around the holidays. That’s because the holidays put you at a high risk of exposure.

Who’s happier, men or women? Research shows it’s a complicated question and that asking whether males or females are happier isn’t really that helpful, because essentially, happiness is different for women and men.

Even in the real world there are witches among us, and fantastic beasts – and a touch of magic, too. And so to mark the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, University of Birmingham experts have answered some of the more mysterious questions behind JK Rowling’s magical fiction. And they’ve made a series of short video explainers, too.

At the age of 14, a young Donald Watson watched as a terrified pig was slaughtered on his family farm. In the British boy’s eyes, the screaming pig was being murdered. Watson stopped eating meat and eventually gave up dairy as well.

The internet often gets a bad rap, and for good reason. Social media use can contribute to poorer mental health in teens. It can also be used to manipulate users’ emotions, and to disseminate misinformation and click bait to sway public opinion.

A record number of women are headed to statehouses and Capitol Hill in 2019. One hundred women were elected to the U.S. House, which means that at least 121 women will serve in the 116th Congress – up from the current 107.

As a general practitioner, I hear a lot of colorful advice from my patients about what they believe constitutes “safe” drinking and how to avoid a nasty hangover.

]]>bobby@innerselfadmin.com (Michael Tam)FeaturedLeisure & CreativityLiving in HarmonyWed, 21 Nov 2018 08:24:35 -0500We Must Help Turn Up the Level of Wisdom, Sanity, and Faith in the Human Familyhttps://innerself.com/content/social/democracy/reforms/18338-turning-up-the-level-of-civilization.html
https://innerself.com/content/social/democracy/reforms/18338-turning-up-the-level-of-civilization.html

In October 2005 Stephen Colbert was just starting his eponymous show, The Colbert Report. It is somewhat chilling to realize that this was when he came up with the word truthiness: it seems so now.

A recent widely-reported study has reignited debate around whether omega-3 supplements reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. The study showed a particular form of omega-3 oil lowered the risk of people with heart disease experiencing a major “end point” event by 25%.

In my research, I have been studying the anti-Semitic images that were commonplace in Vienna early last century. These stereotyped images served to vilify Jewish people, culminating in the removal of most of the Jews from Vienna in 1938.

Forida, 22, lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with her infant son and husband. They live in a dark compound built mostly of tin and wood with six other families and just one toilet. It floods and leaks when it rains, and beside the compound is a polluted pond that attracts mosquitoes. Forida says that if she were paid a little more money, she could one day send her son to school. She could live happily; her family could live a better life.

Organizing your thoughts can help you plan and achieve goals that might otherwise seen unobtainable. The Bullet Journal method, in particular, can reduce clutter in your life by helping you visualize your future.

A life devoted to frugality taught me about “natural wealth” and the value of investing in community. Being wealthy crept up on me. I only noticed it during a recent interview. A reporter perched on my sofa asking questions, scribbling notes, and more than once commenting on how nice my house and yard and view are.

There are suggestions that fish oil is good for a range of health conditions including arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, mental health and heart disease. It’s even been suggested that fish oil might make people smarter, so should we all be taking supplements?

This weekly astrological journal is based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.

Gratitude is noticing the good things that are happening all around you. Feeling gratitude when life is stormy can be difficult; it’s during times of hardship that our gratitude is most tested. Seeing the silver lining during those times is easier when we focus on the power of our gratitude.

In 2017, Australians were asked “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?”. The answer was a resounding “yes” – more than 60% of those who expressed a view backed marriage equality.

As I felt the benefits of forgiving my ex-husband Werner, I began to look at other grievances and judgments I was holding. Mom was at the top of my list. Could I find my way to forgive her, too? That would require me to mourn the losses of my childhood and let them go. Holding onto my resentment to Mom kept them in place.

When we’re in severe or chronic pain, our normal life is not available to us in the way it used to be. Instead, living in pain feels like being taken out of life. Our normal life recedes to a distance at the same time that the feeling world of pain becomes incredibly close, imme­diate, and demanding. Pain becomes our experience of life.

Neutral fact checks may not sway voters to abandon false beliefs based on inaccurate information, a new study suggests. If you’re having a political argument about voter fraud, you’d think that citing a nonpartisan, neutral source like Snopes or Politifact might be the best way to correct misinformation. But that may not be the case.

Last year, in 2017, the 50th anniversary remix of The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band gained considerable respect from critics and fans alike. Now we have the 50th anniversary remix of The Beatles, universally known as The White Album thanks to its ultra-minimalist artwork.

Following another act of fatal violence in Melbourne, Australia in early November 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed claims the perpetrator, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, had a mental illness. He said this was a “lame excuse”, saying he wanted imams and the Muslim community to pay greater attention to people at risk of radicalisation.

Real appreciation is a gift of love straight from the heart, an acknowledgement of another’s greatness and beauty, and a way of showing your partner that you really care. Many women need specific kinds of appreciation. And many men don’t understand this.

Find out what kind of acknowledgment means most to the man in your life. How does he most need to be appreciated? You may be surprised. Please don’t get the idea that men don’t need appreciation for inner qualities of being.

Educators around the world, particularly those in secondary schools, often default to a compelling story when they are trying to motivate their students: Work hard, achieve well and you will secure a successful future with attractive job prospects.

Do you sign off texts and emails with an x? Have you ever thought what that x – shorthand for a kiss – means to you or the person who has sent it to you? It’s said that the liberal use of x in electronic correspondence, whether personal or professional, is feminising the workplace

Being unappreciative in general and focusing on the half empty is a core attitude that Attitude Reconstruction associates with the emotion of anger. These qualities block our ability to experience the emotion of love. With the holidays approaching, it’s time to reverse your old tendency.

]]>JudeBijou@innerself.ca (Jude Bijou, M.A., M.F.T.)FeaturedGratitude & ServiceAttitude AdjustmentsPersonal DevelopmentSat, 17 Nov 2018 08:42:12 -0500What Is The Right Age To Have A Child?https://innerself.com/content/personal/relationships/parenting/18311-what-is-the-right-age-to-have-a-child.html
https://innerself.com/content/personal/relationships/parenting/18311-what-is-the-right-age-to-have-a-child.html

Over the past three decades, there has been a steady increase in the average age of parents. Advances in fertility science mean that people can, literally, put their eggs or sperm on ice and delay the start of parenthood.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho recently criticised his players for not having the courage to take penalty kicks, declaring: “I don’t like Mickey Mouses.” His choice of words made him surely just the latest to misunderstand one of the most significant icons of our times.

This week, in the US, it is Thanksgiving. While being grateful really needs to be a daily practice, having one day a year that highlights giving thanks can help us center ourselves and take note of everything we have to be grateful for. However, there are times where it may seem nearly impossible to be grateful due to circumstances we find ourselves in...

Deaths in children from asthma are growing at an alarming rate. One can't help but wonder if the powerful steroidal drugs that are used to control symptoms and that also suppress immune function play an important role in this death toll. Don't let this type of drug abuse hurt your family. Seek out alternatives and consider these strategies.

The healthy human body is swarming with microorganisms. They inhabit every nook and cranny on the surfaces of our body. But by far the largest collection of microorganisms reside in our gastrointestinal tract – our gut.

Advances in digital technology are changing the world of work. It has been estimated that more than 40% of human workers will be replaced by robots. This probably overstates the scale of displacement, but developments in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning will affect all sectors of the economy.

From the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi by Saudi agents to President Trump’s clashes with the White House press corps, attacks on reporters are in the news. This problem extends far beyond the politics beat, and world leaders aren’t the only threats.

In 2008, Newsweek published an article on then-presidential candidate Barack Obama titled “From Barry to Barack.” The story explained how Obama’s Kenyan father, Barack Obama Sr., chose Barry as a nickname for himself in 1959 in order “to fit in.” But the younger Barack – who had been called Barry since he was a child – chose to revert to his given name, Barack, in 1980 as a college student coming to terms with his identity.

Alcoholic drinks should all carry calorie counts according to a leading UK public health doctor writing in the BMJ today, because of their contribution to obesity. Fiona Sim, Chair of the UK Royal Society for Public Health, writes that while adults who drink may be getting as much as 10% of their daily calories from alcohol, most people are unaware drinking contributes to their energy intake.

Voter turnout among 18 to 29-year-olds in the 2018 midterm elections was 31 percent, according to a preliminary estimate by The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. It’s a major increase from turnout in the 2014 midterms, which was 21 percent.

The average American generates about 1,500 pounds of garbage annually, and then spends lots of tax dollars disposing of it. Even as recycling has taken off across the country in recent decades, the volume of all this trash has kept growing – albeit at a slower pace.

A sense of humor is an attractive trait. There is abundant cross-cultural evidence that shows that being funny makes you more desirable as a mate, especially if you are a man. But once the initial flirting is over, and you are in a romantic relationship, how large a role does humor play?

The idea of eating a tub of ice cream to cope with being upset has become a bit cliche. Though some might not need a tub of chocolate swirl to help perk themselves up again, there do seem to be systematic differences in the way that people cope with upsetting events, with some more likely to find solace in food than others.

Mass shootings seem to have become a sad new normal in the American life. They happen too often, and in very unexpected places. Concerts, movie theaters, places of worship, schools, bars and restaurants are no longer secure from gun violence.

]]>bobby@innerselfadmin.com (Arash Javanbakht)FeaturedFear and WorryAttitude AdjustmentsPersonal DevelopmentThu, 15 Nov 2018 03:00:03 -0500How Do We Know There Is A Link Between Climate Change and Wildfires?https://innerself.com/content/social/environment/climate/impacts/18296-how-we-know-there-is-a-link-climate-change-and-wildfires.html
https://innerself.com/content/social/environment/climate/impacts/18296-how-we-know-there-is-a-link-climate-change-and-wildfires.html

Once again, the summer and fall of 2018 in the Northern Hemisphere has brought us an epidemic of major wildfires. These burn forests, houses and other structures, displace thousands of people and animals, and cause major disruptions in people’s lives.

Healthy sleep leads to healthy brains. Neuroscientists have gotten that message out. But parents, doctors and educators alike have struggled to identify what to do to improve sleep. Some have called for delaying school start times or limiting screentime before bed to achieve academic, health and even economic gains.

Energy, like water, is the life-giving sustenance of the earth. Sexual energy is nourishment for the totality of ourselves -- the body, the mind, and the spirit. It is the water of life, replenishing the gardens of the human temple. Working with energy is a pivotal factor in our overall state of happiness.

Disney’s latest offering, Nutcracker and the Four Realms comes with a warning for anyone who might imagine lighthearted, singing, dancing holiday entertainment. “The legend you know has a dark side.”. So be warned.